Wrestling Bios

Thomas E. Krepps

Tom Krepp’s achievements as a young athlete gave way to his continued success as a high school and college wrestling coach. Voted Ravenna High School’s “Most Valuable Athlete” in 1966, Krepps earned varsity letters in football, baseball and wrestling. He served four years on Northern Michigan University’s wrestling team where he was team captain and a two time NCAA qualifier.

Krepps’ coaching career began in 1972, where he was an assistant wrestling coach for St. Catherine’s High School in Racine, Wisconsin. After two seasons he moved to Michigan and coached one year at Marlette High School before serving as the head wrestling coach for Grandville High School. During his 23 years at Grandville High School, Krepps won an impressive 19 Conference Championships, 21 District Championships, 9 Regional Championships, 1 State-Runner up Finish and 1 State Championship. He coached 9 state champions, 51 all-state wrestlers, 2 high school All Americans and 3 NCAA/NJCAA All Americans. As a head coach, Krepps’ record was 426-58-5.

In 1998, Krepps retired from high school coaching before becoming a Co-Head Wresting coach for Grand Valley State University. During his 4 years at GVSU, Krepps coached 48 All American wrestlers and 11 National Champions. His teams won the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Championships in 2001 and 2002.

Krepps’ coaching accomplishments earned him a spot on the USA Wrestling Coaches All Time Winning List Top 25 and Michigan High School Athletic Association Top 10 Winningest Coaches. In 2001 the NCWA awarded Tom Krepps as “National Coach of the Year.”


Richard M. Bay

A native of Waukegan, Illinois, Rick Bay had an impressive athletic career. In high school Bay was a three-time state wrestling champion, an all-state quarterback, an All-Chicago area baseball player and was named the Illinois High School “Athlete of the Year” as a senior. He attended the University of Michigan where he was a two-time Big Ten Champion.

After graduation, Bay coached for this Alma Mater and was named NCAA Coach of the Year in 1974 after his squad was named runner-up in the NCAA. Bay left his coaching position to work for the University of Michigan Alumni Association, where he was later appointed executive director. Under his talents the Michigan Alumni Association was named the most outstanding organization of its kind in 1978.

Following his service to the Michigan Alumni Association, Bay served as Athletic Director and facilitated the transformation of athletic departments at the University of Oregon, The Ohio State University and the University of Minnesota. He worked for Major League Baseball when he served as Vice President and COO of the New York Yankees and later President and COO of the Cleveland Indians. Under Bays’ leadership, the Cleveland Indians were named Major League Baseball’s “Organization of the Year’ for the first time in franchise history. After serving as the Director of Athletic at San Diego State University, where Bay helped to fund a baseball stadium, softball stadium and athletic center, he reactivated his consulting career as a private consultant.


Rod Rapp

Many of Rod Rapp’s outstanding achievements can be traced to wrestling. An early leader and advocate for promoting wrestling in the state of Michigan, Rapp began his career as a wrestling coach at Mt. Pleasant High School in 1964.

Over the span of 25 years at Mt. Pleasant High School, Rapp built a wrestling empire and an impressive list of accolades. Under his leadership, Mt. Pleasant won 22 out of 25 White Pine Conference titles, numerous district and regional titles and 6 team State Championships. Rapp coached 18 individual state champions and 49 medal winners. With a 301-86-1 record, Rapp was voted Coach of the Year two times. After retiring from his high school coaching career, Rapp served four years as assistant wrestling coach at Central Michigan University.

Athletes under Rapp’s direction held unique and special honors: Mike Mills—the first wrestler to win the State Championship four times; Pat Boyd—three-time State Champion who held the national record for most consecutive wins. Four of Bay’s wrestlers were voted to the High School All American Team and two were voted to the High School Dream Team.

Rod Rapp’s career was inspired by his start as a high school wrestler at Lansing Eastern. As an athlete, Rapp placed in the State Finals three times and was named Outstanding Wrestler both his junior and senior year.


Larry Powell

Larry Powell began his wrestling career at the New Mexico School of the Visually Handicapped in 1959. The following two years, Powell lived in Lake Fenton, Michigan, where no wrestling programs existed. Despite this, Powell’s interest in the sport flourished as he learned wrestling from books and workouts at Flint Southwestern. He then used his knowledge of wrestling to teach and coach his classmates in summer tournaments.
Powell spent the last two years of his high school career at the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing, where he was conference champion and placed in the State tournament both years. He spent an additional two years wrestling at Central Michigan University before starting a life-long career of coaching and volunteering for wrestling programs across the state of Michigan.

In 1969, Powell served as an assistant wrestling coach for Central Michigan University, where he coached four eventual All-Americans and one Olympian. For a number of years Powell also worked at Mt. Pleasant Schools as an assistant coach to Rod Rapp, where he contributed to 3 State Championships and 5 undefeated dual-meet seasons. Powell was also an assistant coach for wrestling programs at Mason High School and Dansville High School.

Powell spent nearly 20 years as a volunteer for wrestling programs at St. Joseph High School in Baltimore, Maryland, and both Eaton Rapids High School and Holt High School in Michigan. He has conducted free workshops for high school wrestler across the state of Michigan and continues to sponsor students at wrestling camps and workshops and give free lessons to wrestlers of all ages.


Tom Lehman

As an 8th grader, Tom Lehman was encouraged to wrestle by his English teacher in order to keep him out of trouble. This diversion lead to great success for Lehman, whose wrestling abilities helped Owosso High School to win three conference championships. Lehman qualified for the State Class A tournament three years and became a state champion in 1967.

While attending Western Michigan University, Lehman was a starter for their wrestling team for two seasons. During his senior year he placed second in the MAC. In 1972, Lehman began his career as a teacher and wrestling coach at Thornapple Kellogg High School. Prior to Lehman’s presence, TK’s wrestling team had never won a dual meet.

Under his leadership, Thornapple Kellogg’s wrestling team has won seventeen conference championships (14-straight from 1991-2004), nine regional championships and placed second at the state championships twice. In 1996, Lehman’s team won the State Championship. He was named Coach of the Year in 1995, 1996 and 2002. Lehman was voted Mid-West Region National Coach of the Year in 1996, and was a finalist for the National Coach of the Year.

Lehman has played an active role in the Michigan Wrestling Association. He has been a member for 36 years and has served as Vice President for 5 years. He has served as Director and Tournament Manager for the Michigan High School State Wrestling Tournament for the 11 years the tournament was held at Thornapple Kellogg High School. Lehman has been the Director of the Junior National Wrestling Team for 24 years and was the Team Leader and Coach of the 2002 USA Greco National Champions.


Jim Mooney

As a wrestler for Niles High School, Jim Mooney developed a life-long passion for the sport. After wrestling for Central Michigan University, his passion gave way to a life-long career.

Jim Mooney began teaching and coaching for Williamston Community Schools in 1962. He coached wrestling at Williamston High School for 32 years and was athletic director for 15 years. While Mooney also coached football, baseball and golf for the high school, he most enjoyed his career as a wrestling coach.

During his tenure, Mooney mentored 46 state qualifiers and produced 19 state champions. He coached state champion Tom Minkle, a former U.S. Olympian and current head wrestling coach for Michigan State University. Mooney’s teams won 9 ICL Championships, 6 district championships and 6 regional championships. He coached state runner-up teams in 1967 and 1971. In 1999, his team won the state championship. In wake of his success, the Lansing State Journal named Mooney Coach of the Year. He was also recognized as Regional Coach of the Year 6 times and Class C/Division III coach of the Year 3 times. As a head coach, Mooney's record was 305-125-3.

Mooney retired in 2006 after the MHSAA Individual State Finals. An annual tournament hosted at Williamston High School, the Jim Mooney Williamston Classic, has been known as one of the toughest regular season tournaments for the past few decades. Mooney and his wife, Barb, have three children and six grandchildren.